Shadows at Home
by DjinnFlint
Summary: Matthew and his team may be having an awful time dealing with the Grave Eclipse, but what of his father? Dark Dawn Spoilers
1. Chapter 1

So I got this idea partly from replaying Dark Dawn, and from two stories on here, one called 'Bickering', the other called 'Resolve'. They both mention that Isaac is in trouble at the time of the Grave Eclipse, and that the Grave Eclipse does actually reach Mt. Aleph. So this is my interpretation. There's a possibility of second chapter, but I thought I'd see how well this one went down first.

So enjoy!

* * *

It was fortunate that Isaac and Garet had decided to collect their supplies from Patcher's Place a day early. Otherwise, there would have been nobody in the small settlement to fend off the monsters when the shadows came. As versed in psynergy as the settlers were, none of them had any experience in wielding that power in an offensive manner. The lives of everyone in Patcher's place rested squarely on the two Warriors of Vale.

Isaac hurriedly barricaded the door, and lent against it, a light band of sweat covering his forehead. He had been hard pressed to get all the settlers into Patcher's Inn, but he and Garet had managed it. It was a tight squeeze, but Patcher had supplies enough to last them a long time. Isaac stood outside the door, eyeing the darkness. The shadows had engulfed to continent just as he and Garet had reached Patcher's Place. Knowing that something like this always spells danger, Isaac and Garet had rushed into the settlement, and had begun to move people towards Patcher's Inn when the monsters appeared.

_The monsters had not been expecting any sort of resistance; so when Isaac, in an almost casual manner, beheaded a Cursed Soldier with his sword, the monsters took notice. At first it looked as though the two adepts were not going to need to use their psynergy at all, but the monsters were many, and would not go down easy. Isaac eventually unleashed a Grand Gaia, giving Garet room to perform a Supernova attack, sending many monsters sprawling. In the brief lull in fighting, Isaac had yelled to the townspeople to lock themselves in the Inn, while he and Garet had flung themselves back into the horde in an effort to divert their attention._

_Just as suddenly as they had appeared, the monsters had vanished, Leaving Isaac and Garet flustered very confused. After a moment's hesitation, Isaac had sent Garet to watch the Inn, whilst he went to the Psynergy Training Grounds to round up anyone who had been left behind. It wasn't a pretty sight. Dead bodies lay everywhere. Men, women, children… Tears of sorrow and frustration began to form, as Isaac quickly made his way through the obstacle course, hoping without hope that he might still find some survivors._

_It was only at the final 'lighthouse' that Isaac's prayers were answered. Two children, a boy and a girl, had hidden behind the 'Doom Dragon'. Isaac's soft and soothing voice had coaxed them out of their temporary sanctuary, and he had hefted the boy onto his back, and carried the girl in his left arm. This made the way back very tricky, especially the ladder. Isaac had just been glad there were no monsters at the time; that would have made things difficult…_

"Isaac!" Garet's voice broke through Isaac's daydream, and the adept looked up to see his best friend standing on the roof of the Inn. "There's more coming… A lot more." Garet launched a fireball down the hillside as a flare, and in the light, row upon row of monsters were marching steadily up the hill. Cursed Soldiers marched in rank, and Death Scuttlers, as their name suggests, scuttled among the marching monsters, as they drew ever closer to the settlement.

"Evidently our efforts did not go unnoticed." Isaac said, half to himself.

"What did you say?" Garet yelled down, not having heard.

Isaac smiled and looked up again at his friend. "You stay up there for now. When the first ten ranks are in range, let loose. Perhaps we can scare them off before they even reach here."

Isaac saw Garet nod, and also saw the doubt in his eyes. Isaac's mouth thinned grimly. Garet was right to doubt, he thought. There's no way a force that large would flee from two adepts, even two as powerful and experienced as Isaac and Garet. This was not going to be easy.

"Garet!" Isaac yelled up to the Mars adept, waving to attract his attention. "Stay with the Inn. I'm going to introduce myself to our visitors!" Garet's faced betrayed his misgivings with that idea, but Isaac was, always had been for that matter, his leader. Isaac rarely made the wrong decision, and if this was what must be done. It must be done. Garet nodded back to Isaac, who gave an encouraging smile. "You stick to our plan." He called over his shoulder as he made his way out of the settlement. "Ten ranks, then scorch their sorry souls!"

* * *

Garet looked on despondently as Isaac made his way towards the army; alone. He hated the idea of his best friend walking into danger like that, with no one at his side to protect him.

_That should be me!_ The thought came unbidden out of his mind, but it was true. Garet had stuck by his friend through thick and thin. From the night of the falling boulder, all the way to Mars Lighthouse, Garet had been there, watching his friend's back. But now, Isaac had ordered him to protect the townsfolk, and that meant standing here, at the Inn, watching his oldest friend walk out to face hundreds of enemies, alone. It didn't seem right, but Isaac was the boss.

Garet sat on the slate roof, his legs beginning to ache. He hadn't sat down since he and Isaac had left the Lookout Cabin, and that must have been hours ago. He looked up to check the moon to gauge the time, before chuckling and shaking his head ruefully. There was no moon. Of course; this was all caused by the moon blocking the sun. Isaac wouldn't have looked for the moon; he would have known it was pointless. Garet continued to chuckle as he thought of all the times he had made a fool of himself. The one he especially remembered was when he accidently crushed his sister's flower garden whilst Moving a pillar. Thankfully Isaac had been there to rush Garet away before Kay could lay her hands on him. That had been the first day of a most remarkable journey.

Garet stretched and rose. Now was not the time to be reminiscing about the past. There was an angry horde below, and a whole settlement that needed protecting. Garet was determined not to let them, or Isaac, down. Sending another fireball flare into the air, Garet watched as his friend 'greeted' the oncoming army.

* * *

A strange calm settled over Isaac. Was this how it was to end? It would certainly be a fitting one for a Warrior of Vale, but would it be the right one? Isaac shrugged off the thoughts of death, as he had done many times before, and drew his sword. A great flash in the air let him know that Garet was watching, and the monsters began to charge when they saw Isaac, sword drawn. This was it.

Isaac planted his feet firmly on the ground, taking strength from the earth, becoming one with it. When the monsters were almost upon him he unleashed Wild Growth. Vines exploded from the ground around Isaac, trapping the Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers who had dared to get too close. Summoning Odyssey, Isaac cut through the vines and the monsters with comparative ease. Unleashing Ground, several more monsters were stopped in their tracks, only to be viciously thrown back by a Quake Sphere. A Cursed Soldier leapt at Isaac's back, only to have his attack deflected by the effect of Granite. Twisting sharply, Isaac sword cut down the confused monster in seconds, and Isaac continued the motion to skewer a Death Scuttler that had pounced at him.

Isaac backed away, breathing heavily. There were too many. Isaac unleashed Sap, draining the life from a Cursed Soldier and giving himself extra strength. He ducked as a Death Scuttler jumped at him, and finished it with a Stone Spire. Pain shot through his body as Cursed Soldier got his blade through his defence, and left a shallow cut across his chest. Rolling his wrist, Isaac's sword slashed through the monster. Suddenly, Isaac's vision started to blur, and a great weakness fell upon him.

_Poison!_

Isaac stumbled away, trying to get some distance between him and the monsters, as he unleashed Salt. He instantly felt stronger as the Djinn purged his body of any maleficent infection. Casting Cure, Isaac stood up straighter, and his eyes narrowed. The monsters hesitated, unsure what to make of the warrior in front of them who, moments before had pretty much been at death's door. Isaac raised his right hand to the sky, and said a single word.

"Judgement."

* * *

Garet watched as Isaac attacked the monsters. Stress and anxiety preyed upon the Mars adept, and it was only the fact that Isaac had made him watch over the townspeople that was keeping him from joining his best friend in battle. He cried out as Isaac took a cut to the chest; no actual words, just a strangled gasp as his friend stumbled backwards, seemingly defeated. Garet's eyes opened further as Isaac stood. He had seen that posture before; on both Venus and Mars Lighthouse, just before battling the Fusion Dragon and the Doom Dragon. Garet knew then that Isaac was not going to back down, and it would take his death for the army to get within Garet's range. Garet's mouth dropped. That had been Isaac's plan all along.

Then Isaac raised his hand.

A loud boom echoed across the land, and Garet watched as a bright light burst through the dark, shadowy mists. The light transformed into a winged knight. Judgement hovered over the battlefield, surveying the darkness that covered the land, before aiming his shield down at the swarm of monster. A ball of light fired from the lion's head on the shield, and Garet raised his arm to protect his eyes as it exploded with blinding light amongst the Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers. Hundreds died instantly, consumed by the light, but for every one that was destroyed, there were three to take its place.

The sound of bone of rock caught Garet's attention, and he spun around to a second horde of Cursed Soldiers descending from the cliff face into the town. Without a moment's hesitation Garet leapt, casting Pyroclasm as he hit the floor. Rolling smoothly to his feet, Garet wrenched his axe from his belt, and unleashed Kindle. As Kindle's strength began to flow through his body, Garet charged straight into the oncoming Cursed Soldiers, scattering with great swings of his axe. As the effect of Kindle began to wear off, Garet unleashed Shine. Bright light exploded into the monsters, and those that weren't hit were temporarily blinded by the strength of the light. Garet took this opportunity to cast Searing Beam, and blasted a channel for him to escape from the centre of the Soldiers. With his back to the Inn, Garet showed no fear as he stared the monsters down.

"Destroy the Star. Destroy the Star."

Garet blinked in surprise as he heard the Cursed Soldiers repeating the phrase over and over. However, there was no time to ponder as to the meaning of the words, as Garet quickly brought his axe up to block and overhead attack from the nearest Cursed Soldier. Garet quickly unleashed Flash, and several Cursed Soldiers found their attacks prevented by a great barrier of heat and light. Garet flung out his hand and cast Flarestorm to wipe away the front two rows of monsters. With room to breathe, Garet raised his hand to summon Tiamat. Another great boom echoed to the hillside as a great dragon descended from the skies. Swooping down twice to find her targets, Tiamat eventually landed beside Garet, before unleashing a torrent of fire over the Cursed Soldiers. No one escaped.

* * *

Isaac had taken the opportunity presented to him by Judgement to return to the settlement. He had done enough damage by himself, now was the time for him and Garet to present a united front. Both Ground and Granite set themselves to him as returned to find Garet no longer on the roof. Panic flared within the Venus adept as he looked wildly for his best friend. A huge eruption of fire exploded from behind the Inn, and Isaac relaxed. Garet was fine. Isaac climbed onto the roof of the Inn, and looked down the hill, arms outstretched in front of him as he cast Wild Growth again. The whole slope within one hundred metres of the settlement rumbled, and vines grew two or three metres tall before falling down, and lying there.

_That ought to slow them down a little._ Isaac thought grimly as he heard a scrabbling sound coming from behind him. Instinct kicked in, and he spun on his heel to deliver a wicked slash at whatever was creeping up on him. It was blocked by an axe.

"Whoa there, Isaac!" Garet exclaimed. "It's bad enough the monsters want to kill me; I don't think I could stop you too."

"What in Sol, Garet?" Isaac yelled back, "You want to give me a heart attack? At least announce that you're coming up behind me!"

"Sorry! I just didn't realise you were a slash first, ask questions later sort of guy." Garet said defensively. "And it's not as if I was expecting you to be here."

"Where have you been, anyway?" Isaac asked, shifting the conversation away from pointless bickering.

"A few monsters tried to sneak down past me. I sorted them out, no problem." Garet planted his fists on his hips as he puffed up with pride.

"That's great." Isaac's voice was a little condescending, but there were other things on his mind. "So all we have to do now is finish of the few thousand in front of us. Shouldn't be a problem, right?" He turned to his friend, who looked very deflated at the mention of more monsters. Garet looked down the slope, and saw the Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers struggling through the vines.

"Why did you grow all those vines?" Garet queried. Why hadn't Isaac just waited for them to get closer before using his psynergy.

"I was setting it up for you." Isaac said, his eyes narrowing and a small smile playing on his lips. "This way we can annihilate around half of their numbers in one fell swoop." When he noticed Garet still hadn't understood, Isaac pointed in the direction of the vines.

"Set fire to them you idiot!"

Slightly taken aback by Isaac vehemence, Garet stepped up to the edge of the roof, and clenched his fists together. A great fireball erupted from his hands, into the packed vines. The flames spread quickly, and the Soldiers and Scuttlers burnt like dry wood on a hot day.

"That gives us some time to prepare." Isaac said as he sat heavily on the roof. Garet didn't say anything; he just sat next to his best friend, exhausted. The two friends sat there in silence as they watched the flames consume monster after monster. Those not caught in the fire stayed far away from the flames, not wishing to suffer the same fate as those before them.

Still the two friends sat there, and still the fires burned. Garet glanced over at Isaac. He had that look again. With a sigh Garet turned back to the fire, which was just now beginning to burn. He could see the surviving monsters edging closer and closer as the fires got smaller and smaller.

"We're in a lot of trouble, aren't we?" He asked Isaac as the two of them rose to their feet.

"Yes." Isaac's monosyllabic reply was punctuated by the rasping of his sword from its sheath. Garet drew his axe once more.

The two of them stood on the edge of the roof, watching as the monsters grow in confidence. They were almost at the settlement now, the fires dying out swiftly. The Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers were almost at the Inn. Garet turned once more to his best friend.

"But we're not going to retreat, are we?"

Isaac smiled at his friend, before leaping off the roof, into the mass of monsters.

"No."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm not really sure what to make of this one myself! I never really considered myself to be a good action writer, but I felt that this story needed to be written (It had been floating in my mind for a few days before I decided to do anything about it!). Like I said there's definitely potential for another chapter, but at the same time, it could easily be left as it is, especially seeing as Isaac's fate in the game is unknown (This also allows this to stay as potential canon, rather than it being AU in the future... but that's beside the point here.). What do others think?


	2. Chapter 2

It's taken a while, but here's chapter 2! Again review if you want to, but don't feel pressured! Any comments and thoughts on this would be most welcome. Also, I'm thinking of bringing in some more characters, most likely old school, but the idea of introducing my own Adept does have it's appeals. What do people think?

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_Mia walked next to the small boy, Ivan. She had to admit, she was very nervous about leaving Imil for the first time, but she knew it had to be done. The welfare of the world was at stake. But that didn't have to mean she couldn't miss home. She caught Ivan looking at her, his purple eyes seemingly searching the recesses of her mind. He realised he had been caught, and looked away, blushing slightly._

"_It's kind of scary, leaving home, isn't it?" Ivan asked, startling Mia. How had he known? Ivan saw the startled looked, and hurriedly carried on speaking. "I mean, I was scared, leaving Vault with Isaac and Garet, but I felt that I had to. I was just thinking that you must be feeling the same about leaving Imil." Mia relaxed, but was still a bit suspicious about the purple-eyed boy._

"_Yes, I am a little scared." She admitted. "But you're right, it has to be done. We must stop Alex, and the others." Ivan nodded at her words looking serious and pensive. Mia nudged him, and gave an encouraging smile. "But we can't let it get to us. Look at Garet and Isaac. They seem to be coping just fine, and they're in the same situation as we are." Mia motioned with her staff towards the two other adepts, who were marching at a hurried pace, several hundred metres ahead of the Mia and Ivan._

"_Ah, but they have each other." Ivan argued, and continued when Mia looked at him, puzzled. "They both come from Vale. In fact, they are best friends. Sometimes I wonder if they can read each other's minds, they're that in sync." Ivan began to blush again at the mention of mind-reading, which again had Mia speculating at the young boy's abilities._

"_I suppose…" Mia trailed off, unable to come up with any argument. For a while they walked along in silence, when all of a sudden there was a cacophony of noise, and five Maulers leapt out of the snow, and quickly encircled Garet and Isaac. Mia screamed, and made to aid them, but Ivan grabbed her arm, and shook his head._

"_You'd just get in the way. Watch; if they need our help, they'll call for it." Mia looked into Ivan's eyes, and saw that he meant what he said. So with fearful eyes, Mia watched on as the Maulers attacked._

_What she saw next would stay with her forever._

_Sword met claw, axe met fur, stone smashed bones, and fire burned flesh. The Maulers, for all their strength and ferocity, were no match for the maelstrom of steel and psynergy in the centre of the fight. Neither Isaac nor Garet stayed still for more than a second; both kept moving, covering each other, as if they knew exactly where the other was going to be at any given moment. A Mauler swung a paw at Isaac. Isaac ducked and swivelled, his sword scoring across the belly of another Mauler, whilst Garet's axe flashed out, severing the claw of the first Mauler, before firing a cycle beam at the Mauler Isaac had just slashed, whilst Isaac unleashed Flint on another Mauler. Not one of the Maulers got anywhere near to touching either of the adepts, and the battle was over almost as soon as it started. Isaac and Garet stood there, amongst broken and burnt bodies, before giving each other a high-five and motioning for Ivan and Mia to catch up._

"_You see? You'd have only got in the way." Ivan said with a smile, as Mia walked beside him, awestruck at what she had just seen._

* * *

Patcher was witnessing a very similar scene to the one Mia had been privy to over thirty years ago. Fearfully he had watched the Cursed Soldier and Death Scuttlers advance towards the Inn. Isaac and Garet had already performed miracles keeping them at bay for this long, but Patcher knew that even the legendary Warriors of Vale only had so much strength they could give. And then, out of the darkness, two forms a leapt down, past the Patcher's window, right in front of the Inn, gathering themselves, before they charged headlong into the onrushing monsters. Isaac and Garet were still alive? And still fighting?

From his window, Patcher could easily see the two Adept, back to back, not giving any ground to the monsters. A Death Scuttler leapt at Isaac. The warrior ducked, and the Scuttler found itself blasted away by Garet's Searing Beam. In the same movement Garet ducked and rolled forwards, Isaac leaping over him to block an overhead slash from a Cursed Soldier, before smoothly decapitating the beast. Garet rose, unleashing Flash, several attack bounced off the two warriors ineffectively, as Isaac cast Grand Gaia, destroying several Cursed Soldiers with the power of the earth. Garet unleashed Kindle. Isaac swayed backwards to avoid another Death Scuttler. Garet's axe slashed down, cutting the Scuttler down mid-leap. Isaac unleashed Granite. Cursed Soldiers swords deflected harmlessly off Garet's back. Spinning round his friend, Isaac slashed out, several Soldiers falling at once.

But still the monsters advanced.

Patcher pressed his face against the window glass, trying to get as clear a view as he could. Another Cursed Soldier leapt at Garet's unprotected back. A Stone Spire launched out of the earth, colliding with the Soldier, and Patcher could see the bones shatter under the impact. A Flare Storm brushed a horde of Death Scuttlers from Isaac's path, and he launched himself at the nearest monster, decapitating a Cursed Soldier, and running a Death Scuttler through. Garet backed away as Cursed Soldiers advanced on him. Suddenly they were frozen to the spot, and Garet leapt forwards, cutting through them easily. Isaac ducked and rolled straight after unleashing Ground, and a Liquifier burst right in the chest of the Cursed Soldier behind him. Isaac leapt backwards, casting Odyssey on the nearest Death Scuttler, and swivelled to his right, unleashing Sap on a Cursed Soldier, as Garet swivelled round him and unleashed Shine on the advancing monster.

But still the monsters advanced.

Patcher was joined at the window by others, both terrified and curious, wanting to see how their courageous and unflagging defenders were doing. There was a communal gasp as Garet took a shallow cut to his arm from a cursed soldier. Isaac was there, casting Wild Growth, which spread through the monsters. Garet cast Flare Storm, and again the monsters burned. Isaac parried an attack from a Cursed Soldier, before turning and slashing at a Death Scuttler. Another Death Scuttler leapt on his back, and Isaac threw it off before casting Quake Sphere at the nearest group of Cursed Soldiers. Isaac ducked as a Cursed Soldier slashed at him, and kicked out at the legs of another, before leaping away, landing softly by a weakened Garet. Casting Stone Spire, Isaac gave himself room to unleash Salt on Garet, purging the poison from his body, and then casting Potent Cure, to re-energise his companion. Garet rose, nodded to his friend, and both turned to face the hordes of monsters, hands outstretched. Grand Gaia and Pyroclasm exploded amongst the never-ending horde of monsters. The stench of charred flesh pierced the Inn, as did the echoing of broken bones.

But still the monsters advanced.

* * *

Garet wiped the sweat away from his eyes, and glanced over at his best friend. Isaac looked exhausted, but determined. Garet sighed. He knew there was no way they could retreat, not while the monsters threatened the settlers of Patcher's Place. Unfortunately, that last Pyroclasm had wiped Garet of the last remaining psynergy, and he was sure that Isaac's reserves were just as empty. Isaac, perhaps sensing Garet's eyes on him, turned and gave a tired smile.

"I'm all spent." He said affably, confirming what Garet had already suspected. Garet just nodded, and turned to the monsters making their way through the carnage and destruction that the two adepts had caused.

"We gave it a good shot." Garet said as Isaac came to stand beside him. A Cursed Soldier leapt at them, but they just sprang away, axe and sword cutting through the monster before it could register what had happened.

"We sure did, old friend." Isaac said with a chuckle as he ducked, allowing Garet to cut down a Death Scuttler mid-flight. "I doubt anyone could have held them for as long as we have." Garet smiled at the statement. It wasn't arrogance that pushed Isaac to say something like that, it was merely the truth.

"I think Ivan and Jenna could have given us a run for our money, though. Especially if we told Jenna that the monsters hated her cooking." Isaac laughed out loud, a rich laugh, with not a hint of sadness or disappointment detectable in it. He nodded, as he launched forwards, Garet stepping aside as Isaac skewered a Cursed Soldier, before they were back to back again, slashing at Cursed Soldiers trying to get near them.

"Yes, I imagine you're right on that one." Isaac said as cut down another Death Scuttler. Garet smiled as he ducked, slashing at a Cursed Soldier's legs. Isaac caught Garet's eye as he blocked a wicked slash from a Cursed Soldier, and nodded. It was time.

Spinning round one another, the two adepts caught the monsters off guard. Arms stretched to the sky, Isaac and Garet called out in unison.

"Tiamat!"

"Judgement!"

* * *

Isaac raised his arm, to protect his eyes from the bright light that had erupted when the power of Tiamat had collided with the power of Judgement. The force that had exploded when the two powers had met was phenomenal, and the monsters not caught in the blast were flung several hundred metres back. A gap in the fighting. Isaac gave a weary sigh of relief, and sat on the Inn's front step. A heavy thud accompanied the sound of Garet joining him on the step.

"A little longer, then." Garet said, weariness evident in his voice. Isaac smiled and put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"It would look like that, Garet." He looked at the monsters, which were recovering, and beginning to start up the hillside once again. "We've had a good run." With a sigh, he removed his hand from Garet's shoulder, and brushed a hand through his unruly hair. "It's still hard to believe we've done some of the stuff we have. You remember Sol Sanctum?" Garet snorted.

"How could I forget? Afterwards you were adamant to go after them." Garet's voice went high-pitched as he imitated a 17 year old Isaac. "'Oh, we've got to go after them, we have to save Jenna, we just _have_ to." Garet winced as Isaac punched him lightly on the arm. "Ow! All I'm saying is that you would have gone after Saturos and Menardi even if the Wise One hadn't tasked us with that ridiculous quest anyway." Isaac chuckled.

"Yes, I probably would have. And you would have followed." The remark was a statement, not a question. Both knew it.

"Of course. My best friend going after two crazy Proxian's by himself? I think not!" Isaac smiled at Garet's words.

"Thanks Garet." He said softly, and smiled even more when Garet looked at him, puzzled. "For following." Garet still looked like he had no idea, but understood the meaning behind it.

Both adepts rose as one as the monsters began another charge.

"Will these things never learn?" Garet muttered angrily, and Isaac couldn't help but laugh.

"Kraden used to say the same about you, old friend." Garet looked surprised, and angered at the comment. This just made Isaac laugh even more, and he gestured to his friend as he advanced on the monsters. "Come on. Let's teach them one more lesson: Warriors of Vale die hard." With a grim smile Garet picked up his axe and charged after Isaac.

Less than fifty metres separated the monsters and the adepts, when suddenly, the hillside started rumbling. Both sides stumbled to a halt, looking very confused.

"Don't look at me!" Isaac exclaimed to Garet, who was looking at him quizzically. "I told you, I'm all spent!" The rumbling got louder, and suddenly a large cracking sound echoed down the hillside. The whole earth shuddered, and the monsters and Garet where knocked off their feet by the sudden movement.

"What in Sol is going on?" Garet demanded, angrily getting to his feet, only to be knocked off them again as the shockwave reverberated through the ground.

"It's an earthquake." Isaac shouted over the rumbling. "But it's not a natural one; I would have felt it building up long before it actually happened."

Suddenly the hillside split apart, right between the adepts and the monsters, the gap widened and widened, until the gap was about twenty metres across. Then, as soon as it had started, the rumbling stopped, and the hillside came to a standstill. Garet rose shakily, and stood beside a dumbstruck Isaac.

"How…?" was all Garet could say, before he heard a voice calling to them from up the hill.

"Patcher!" Garet yelled as he saw Patcher and the other settlers standing outside the Inn. "Get back in the Inn! It's dangerous out here! There could be more monsters! There could be another earthquake!"

Isaac and Garet looked at one another in surprise when Patcher started laughing. "There'll be no more earthquakes, Garet! Not as long as we don't want one!" Patcher gestured to all the people standing outside. "You're not the only Adepts in Weyward, you know!"

"So that was- You did- All the shaking- The huge crack in the earth..." Garet could barely form a sentence, so confused was he about what had just occurred. With a small smile Isaac patted Garet gently on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Patcher! Thank you, all of you! But I strongly advise going back into the Inn. These monsters are tough and determined. It will not take them long to bridge this gap."

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves fearfully, as members began to scurry back into the Inn. Eventually Patcher was the only one, other than Isaac and Garet still outside. The two Warriors of Vale had made their way back to the Inn, and were stood with its owner, looking at the chasm in front of them.

"You know, you two should come in and get some rest. You both look exhausted." Isaac made to protest, but Patcher put his hand up to silence him. "I'll people looking out of every window in the Inn. If the monsters get anywhere near, you'll be the first to know. Isaac looked as if he were about to try protesting again, but with a glance at Garet, he nodded, and ushered his battle weary friend into the Inn.

Space was made for them, and they lay down on a couple of beds. Drowsiness began to set in, and a thought stuck Garet and sleep threatened to overcome him.

"Isaac?" He said sleepily. His friend grunted. "The Cursed Soldier said something about destroying a star. Do you know what they're talking about?"

There was silence, and for a moment, Garet was sure his friend had fallen asleep.

"No Garet; I don't."

"Oh, ok. Let's hope that the monsters take at least a few hours to get over that chasm, hey?"

"Yes Garet. Now get some sleep."

Garet nodded, and rolled over, falling asleep almost instantly.

And still the monsters advanced.


	3. Chapter 3

And so, after well over year, the third part is finally here! Sorry for making you wait, real life interfered with this one. I hate it when that happens! Anyway, this is the final part of this story. To be honest, it needed to end, as I go through heavy periods of writing, followed by much longer periods of nothing!

Enjoy, and I hope you're not too disappointed!

I do not own Golden Sun or any of its character.

* * *

"_It's… complicated, Isaac."_

_Isaac turned and glared at the one eyed monolith that floated impassively beside him._

"_What do you mean: complicated?" These dream/visions always frustrated him. The Wise One would always come bearing bad news, and yet would never offer any suggestions as to how to fix it. No, that was always left to Isaac and his friends, and all of Weyard knew how that turned out the first time. "Half of Weyard has been plunged into infinite darkness, and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of monsters is currently wreaking havoc in said darkness. All of this you tell me, and yet you tell me the reasons for it, and the mechanisms in which to fix it are… complicated!? Is that it?"_

_Rant over, Isaac stalked across the chamber, leaping from island to island, before he slumped against a statue. Glancing up, he noticed that it was the statue that had once held the Mars Star. The Wise One loved to have these psychic meetings here, right in the heart of Sol Sanctum. Isaac didn't. This place served as a reminder of a time when he thought he had lost Jenna forever…_

"_I'm sorry Isaac." The great stone floated gently beside the seated warrior. "The only thing I can tell you is that this is one problem you cannot fix. That task has been left to others."_

"_Who? Felix? Piers?" Isaac sighed "Never mind, you probably can't tell me, right?" The Wise One hovered silently, confirming the Adept's suspicions. "Can you at least tell me whether or not my wife is still alive?"_

_The silence continued for several minutes before Isaac heard the Wise One's voice again. "All I can tell you, Isaac, is what you already know. Jenna is proud, strong and wilful. She would never give her life lightly." The blonde warrior sighed and stood, hopping back to the main island._

"_Not what I asked."_

_The Wise One floated after him._

"_There is one last thing I must tell you Isaac; something very important. It concerns you, Alex, and the Golden Sun."_

_Golden Sun? The two words echoed in Isaac's thoughts. An idea began to form, and then in a flash of the usual Isaac brilliance, the idea became a plan; a workable plan at that, with a good chance of success._

"_Wise One, you're a genius!" Isaac exclaimed excitedly. "I know what to do now!" Isaac spun around and ran for the exit._

"_Wait Isaac, this is very important! It concerns the Mars… Star…" But it was too late. Isaac was gone._

* * *

Isaac eyes flared open and he leapt out of his bed, running over to Garet, and shaking the Mars adept roughly.

"Garet! Garet! Wake up! I know how we can save everyone!" Garet's eyes opened groggily, and it took him a few seconds to register where he was, and a few more to understand what Isaac had said.

"What?! You know a way out of this mess?" Garet's eyes widened. After all the years they had known each other, Isaac continued to surprise him.

"Think about it for a second." Isaac said patiently. "Ok, the darkness has been caused by the moon covering the sun right?" Garet nodded, nonplussed. "And these monsters appear in this darkness. They spawn from the darkness, right?" Garet nodded again, still unsure where Isaac was going with this speech. "And so it stands to reason that these monsters cannot survive in the light, right?"

"Yes Isaac, but you've already said that the sun has been blocked by the moon." Garet said testily. "Where else are we going to find a large… light… source… Oh." Realisation dawned on Garet's face, and an impish grinned formed on Isaac's.

"That's right Garet." He said devilishly. "We're going to take these people up the mountain to the Lookout Cabin. That way…"

"They'll be under the light of the Golden Sun! The monsters won't be able to attack us there!" Garet yelled in excitement.

"Exactly." Isaac's smile faded slowly. "But it's not going to be easy, persuading the people to go out there, in the darkness, up the mountain. _Especially_ when there are plenty of monsters outside."

"Oh yeah…" Garet looked dejected. "What are we going to do?"

Isaac's devilish grin returned as he headed for the door. "Just leave it to me."

* * *

Garet had no idea how Isaac did it, but amazingly, less than half an hour after he had left the room, everyone was packed and ready for the climb. Isaac sure had a way with words, Garet thought with a chuckle. It hadn't always been that way; when they had started their first journey, there were periods where Isaac wouldn't talk for _days_. A sharp pain in his toe and a stumble brought Garet out of his reverie, and he focussed on the narrow path ahead of him. It had been decided that Garet was to lead the group up the mountain, and that Isaac would follow, covering the rear. Garet sighed as he continued to lead the group up the narrow mountain path. At least the enemies could only come at him in pairs, he thought grimly. A collective gasp from behind caused Garet to look up, and sure enough, Cursed Soldiers were marching down the path before him.

"Speak of the bloody devils." He muttered to himself as he pulled his axe from his belt, before giving an almighty bellow and charging straight at the oncoming monsters. Ducking under the first attack, Garet heaved his axe into the Cursed Soldier, sending it careening into others behind it, causing several to be knocked off the path. Seeing the skeletal warriors shatter against the mountainside, Garet quickly unleashed the Djinn Flash and Kindle, and then charged at the Cursed Soldiers once again. Blades and gauntlets bounced ineffectively off of Flash's defensive field, and with Kindle's added strength, Garet threw many more Cursed Soldiers off the narrow mountain path, and the mountainside was soon littered with broken bodies.

Garet leapt back, away from a particularly vicious slash from a Cursed Soldier, before swiftly beheading it. Progress had slowed considerably since the monsters had arrived, and there was still a long way to go. With the effects of Flash and Kindle beginning to dwindle, Garet blocked an overhead slash from a Cursed Soldier, hammering it backwards into its allies with his gauntleted fist. More monsters fell, but more kept advancing. Garet swayed to his left, his axe slashing down on yet another Cursed Soldier, before raising his arm. _Searing Beam should do the trick_, he thought as he aimed for the oncoming monsters.

Then he hesitated.

The path was treacherous enough as it was. Any psynergy or offensive djinn unleashed on this path would only serve to hamper the escape efforts of those Garet sought to protect. The warrior came to his senses just in time to avoid a wicked slash, countering it with a horizontal slash of his own, sending another two Cursed Soldiers down the mountainside. _So it looks like we're doing this the hard way, _he thought grimly, tightening his grip and advancing on the oncoming horde. As his axe shattered the ribcage of yet another Cursed Soldier, Garet's thoughts started to drift to the rear of the escaping group, where his best friend was holding off the monsters that were attacking from behind.

Garet could only hope and pray that Isaac was alright.

* * *

The monsters had cleared the ravine created by the inhabitants of Patcher's Place soon after the settlement had been abandoned, and had caught up with the escapees at the base of the mountain. With a short command to Garet to lead the villagers up the path, Isaac had leapt at the Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers, slashing left and right. The monsters had fallen back from his frenzied assault, and Isaac used the space to retreat swiftly, making his way to the mountain path. Isaac quickly unleashed Granite and Ground. With the defensive boost of Granite, the Death Scuttlers that leapt at Isaac were quickly brushed aside and dispatched, while Ground temporarily held the advancing Cursed Soldiers in place.

_I hope Garet isn't facing any Death Scuttlers…_ Isaac thought with a grimace. For all of his strength, Garet would not be able to cope with Death Scuttlers leaping at him between attacks from the Cursed Soldiers. _Sooner or later one would break through._ Casting his doubts of Garet aside, Isaac cut a Death Scuttler in half mid-leap, spinning swiftly on his heel to slash at two Cursed Soldiers that had broken free of Ground's effect. The narrow path did make it much easier to defend against the seemingly insurmountable number of foes, but Isaac also noted very swiftly the psynergy would be a bad idea; especially _his_ psynergy. The Venus Adept frowned in anger. Avalanches caused by tremors from his psynergy would not go down well with Garet and the fleeing villagers. With a frustrated sigh raised his sword, and blocked another leaping Death Scuttler, before flicking his wrist and sending over the edge and down the cliff face.

Unwilling to advance too far, Isaac found himself slowly but steadily retreating. With each step he was forced to take backwards, several Cursed Soldiers and many Death Scuttlers fell, either to his blade, or off the edge of the path. _I hope Garet is advancing quicker than I'm retreating,_ Isaac thought grimly, _otherwise this plan is __not__ going to work_. Isaac skewered a Death Scuttler, and flung it into the faces of the Cursed Soldiers. In doing so, several of the monsters lost their footing and fell, temporarily halting the advance. With a moment of respite, Isaac unleashed Sap, drawing energy from the fallen Cursed Soldiers. Revitalised, Isaac ducked away from a leaping Death Scuttler, his sword following his movement and slicing the Death Scuttler as it passed through the space his body had just been.

Risking a glance behind him, Isaac was relieved to see that the villagers and Garet were out of sight. At least they were still moving forward, he thought with a tight smile. A scraping of bone on metal alerted the blond warrior to danger, and he turned quickly, sword raised. No sooner had he raised his sword, another clashed violently against it. Caught off balance, Isaac fell. Grabbing the ribcage of the offending Cursed Soldier, Isaac tucked his legs under the monster and kicked out, sending the skeleton over the edge of the path. Completing his backwards roll, Isaac planted his hands firmly on the ground and pushed up, flipping himself onto his feet, still facing the monstrous army that was attempting to kill him. For a second, no one moved, seemingly awestruck at the acrobatic display they had just been privy to.

With a bestial scream, several Death Scuttlers rushed at Isaac, but were swiftly cut down. This seemed to break the spell, as the Cursed Soldiers also let out an inhuman cry and charged at the Adept who stood in their way. Defending furiously, Isaac found himself once again being forced backwards. Every time he felled a monster, there was another take his place, and then another after that, and another and another and another. _This is ridiculous!_ Isaac thought angrily. _How can these monsters just keep appearing? Why wouldn't the bloody Wise One tell me anything?!_ The anger spread through his body, and with a great roar Isaac stopped defending and leapt at the Cursed Soldiers. Confused by the sudden change in aggression, the monsters hesitated, and the front rows were cut down before they could register the attack. Death Scuttlers leapt at the advancing adept, but were cut down as soon as they were within reach of his sword.

The attack did not last. Tiring, Isaac found his advancing steps shortening, until he was brought to complete halt. Shortly after, he found himself retreating once again. _I hope Garet is almost there…_

* * *

Garet was also hoping he was almost there. Sweat was dripping from his face, and his moustache was plastered against his top lip. It was very uncomfortable; Garet did not like it. It seemed to Garet like the fighting had gone on for hours, and that the top must be in sight soon. He set Flash and Kindle, feeling their strength coarse through him, giving him extra energy. He raised his axe, his arms burning with the effort, and charged at the Cursed Soldiers once again, barrelling through the front rows, and cutting into the ones behind. His vision blurred, and he belated realised that there was a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Somehow, a Cursed Soldier had managed to insert the tip of its sword into Garet's shoulder, and then remove it without Garet noticing. Fortunately, the Mars adept had prepared for this, and consumed a herb and an antidote he acquired from Patcher's Place before leaving. _Can't be relying on Isaac to heal me all the time…_ The herb and antidote worked quickly and effectively, and Garet lurched forwards, blocking an attack with the shaft of his axe, before bring the blades to bear on the Cursed Soldier before him.

The monsters surged forwards again, forcing Garet backwards a few steps, as he struggled to contain the onslaught. With an angry bellow, the red-haired warrior surged forwards, his axe cleaving through the Cursed Soldiers, and sending the ones it missed over the edge to shatter against the mountainside. Angry at having been pushed back, Garet began to pick up his pace, and the Cursed Soldiers found there was little they could do to avoid the mighty swings of Garet's axe. Smashing the ribcage of one monster, Garet spun to crush the skull of another, before ducking under an attack and barrelling forwards to knock the attacking Cursed Soldier of its feet and off the path. Despite the almost berserker-like nature of Garet's attack, the Cursed Soldiers would not back down. In fact, it seemed to Garet as if they were attacking with even more frenzy than before. _Why would that be?..._

"Garet! Look! Ahead of you!"

Patcher's shout caused Garet's head to snap up, and sure enough, only a few hundred metres further up the path, rays of light could be streaming over the ridge.

_The Golden Sun!_

With their destination in sight, Garet's spirit soared. Reserves of energy long thought depleted surged to the surface, and Garet began his advance once more. The fighting got more and more frenetic, as the Cursed Soldiers desperately tried to stop the approaching warrior. Garet smiled, and broke into a run, slashing wildly with his axe, pushing the Soldiers back, closer and closer to the light. They were so close, Garet could almost feel the light on his face. Less than a hundred metres to go, and the Cursed Soldiers dropped all forms of defence, throwing themselves carelessly at the Mars adept in a desperate final attempt to stop him. With a great, booming laugh, Garet shrugged them off. He had come too far to fail now…

* * *

Isaac was tiring, and fast. His sword felt heavy in his hands, and he taken to dragging along the floor, and countering the attacks with big aggressive swings that would cleave through several monsters at once. A Death Scuttler leapt at him, but instead of retaliating with his sword, Isaac let go of the sword with right hand, and launched a ferocious uppercut at the Death Scuttler's exposide underside. The force of the attack sent the Death Scuttler flying away, down the mountain. Gripping his sword with both hands once more, Isaac planted his right foot firmly on the ground and waited for his enemies to approach. Spotting what seemed to be a lapse in concentration, the Cursed Soldiers leapt at the warrior blocking their path, swords raised. At the last possible second, Isaac's sword flashed up, and he pivoted on his foot, spinning round full circle. Many monsters were cut through, and the force of the spin sent them flying backwards, knocking several more off the dangerously narrow mountain path.

If Isaac had been hoping for a few seconds rest for his efforts, he was to be sorely disappointed. Almost as soon as he had completed his spin, Death Scuttlers launched themselves at him. He raised his sword, and several bounced off the great blade. However, one got past, and began to scuttle up the path. "You're not going anywhere!" Isaac muttered to himself, before launching his sword after the Death Scuttler. His aim was true, his sword piercing the monster, skewering it to the ground. Not waiting for the others to catch him unarmed, Isaac charged after his sword, aggressively pulling it out of the ground and turning to face the monsters chasing him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough. Halfway through turning, a Cursed Soldier slashed at him, scoring a light cut down Isaac's left arm. Wincing at the pain, Isaac thrust his gauntleted right fist into the monster's face, shattering the skull. As his vision began to blur and fade, Isaac unleashed Salt, to purge him of poison. _I'm running out of time… Hurry Garet!_ Isaac backed away slowly as the Cursed Soldiers and Death Scuttlers continued to attack him, trying desperately to kill the warrior who was just as desperately trying to stop them from advancing up the path.

"Isaac! Isaac!"

A small, squeaky voice cut through the clash of sword on sword, and out of the corner of his eye Isaac spotted a small red being sat on a rock on the cliff face above him. It was Garet's djinn: Spark!

"We've made it Isaac! We're at the Lookout Cabin, and you were right! The Cursed Soldiers disintegrated the moment they were in the light of the Golden Sun. Hurry and catch up!"

Isaac smiled in relief at the news, and watched the Mars djinn hop back up the mountain path. Isaac turned and faced the monsters on the path. There was no way he could outrun them, not in the state he was in. With a look of grim determination, Isaac raised a hand to the sky.

_I hope the plateau is as stable as I think it is…_

* * *

Garet let out a deep, relieved sigh, and smiled as he lay down on the ground beside the cabin. He was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right now. But he couldn't. Anxiety gnawed at him, preventing him from getting the sleep he craved. Where was Isaac? Was he alright? Spark had just returned, and Garet had assumed that Isaac wouldn't be far behind.

A dull boom echoed from down the mountainside. _No… He didn't… Surely not…_ The boom was swiftly followed by a bright flash of light and the sound of a crumbling cliff face. _He did… The fool actually summoned Judgement…_ Garet's eyes misted up. He knew there was no way Isaac would have been able to avoid the after effects of Judgement's attack. This meant that he would have fallen with the crumbling mountain path; and _that_ meant…

"What are you doing looking so depressed? Give me a hand over here!"

The familiar voice jerked Garet up, and he saw a hand and a face peeking at him from the cliff edge. Battered, bruised but very much alive, Isaac called out again.

"I wasn't joking Garet, I really need a hand over here!"

As if coming out of a trance, Garet rushed over to his friend, and hauled him up onto the cabin's plateau.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" Garet raged at his friend. "You knew summoning Judgement would causing a huge landslide. You're lucky to be alive!"

"Lucky?" Isaac gave an amused snort. "You think a mere landslide could kill me? I'm a Venus adept for crying out loud. Landslides are what I do!"

"Yeah, well I'm a Mars adept, but you don't see me walking through volcanos just because I can." Garet huffed grumpily. Isaac just laughed.

"You're quite right my friend. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Garet's face softened, and he smiled. The smile soon faded, and was replaced by one of confusion and fear.

"What is it, Garet?" Isaac asked puzzled. Garet did not reply, but pointed over Isaac's shoulder. Isaac turned, and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Well; that makes things… complicated."

A psynergy vortex floated only metres away from the cabin.

* * *

**A/N:** Not 100% on this one. To be honest I kinda rushed it, so I could finally finish this story... Meh. Maybe it's just because I've been out of the game for too long. Oh well.

On a side note, I was thinking of doing some beta-reading. What do people think? I like the idea of being able to help other people write the stories they want to share.

Also, where do people stand on the whole college/university AU thing? Was contemplating it (focussing on the Dark Dawn crew, with cameos from the originals). I have a couple of ideas spinning around, but I'm not too sure.


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